Problem with most chairs (including Aeron) is the bowl-shaped seat pan.
It feels comfy / cradling when you first sit down, and that’s why people buy them. But as the minutes and hours go by, your pelvis is turning inward for lack of central support. Eventually you get back problems.
Google Esther Gokhale for full explanation.
An upwardly curved or at least flat seat pan (think old fashioned upholstered chairs or solid wood chairs) are more human designs.
Ask HN: Where do you sit?
61–70 of 74 posts
Re: Ask HN: Where do you sit?
#62The trouble with chair recommendations is that the best chair for me isn't the best chair for you. If you are able, going to a warehouse or store of some kind where you can try the chairs out will make all the difference. To answer your q directly: I have tried Herman Millers in the past but they just didn't do it for me, too stuffy and I dislike the arms. I went for a Humanscale Diffrient World instead, it is all me…
> too stuffy and I dislike the arms. I cannot stand arms on any chair. That's why I ordered my Aeron without armrets.
I really dislike a chair with no arms, I like the ones on my Aeron
Re: Ask HN: Where do you sit?
#63The Steelcase leap is the best when it comes to the high end office chairs. I had aerons for the longest time but the non adjustability is not worth the price paid.
Also what I forgot to mention is that the back of the Leap is flexible like the even more expensive than that Aeron chair: the Embody. So basically you get a substantially better chair than both the Aeron and the Embody for a better price. I feel Herman Miller is coasting a bit on the Aeron being so iconic.
Re: Ask HN: Where do you sit?
#64Net/mesh chairs are just nonsense for me. Why is that even recommended? Is it because people sweat profusely when they sit?
You might find them not to your liking, but nonsense? It's not that I sweat, I just like the cooler feel of mesh. And it's comfortable.
Re: Ask HN: Where do you sit?
#65> This leads to some neck and back pain happening a couple of times during the year As someone who made the mistake of getting older, I have some extremely bad news for you.
Oh shit
Re: Ask HN: Where do you sit?
#66Costco has a lot of good stuffs, but not those chairs. I have tried all of them in the warehouse I visited, and they are all bad.
No of hours rating is a good proxy. I once bought office chair from Office Depot that’s rated for 10 hours of sitting. That chair is not bad. I think it costed around $300.
I later developed a lot of pains throughout the body. And officially I have tendonitis on my left shoulder and both wrists. My shoulder blades are also very tight. I since visited a lot of therapists from different professions. One of the many reasons caused this is how I sit.
Rather than telling you which chair I sit, I’ll tell you what I learnt. First, the more expensive the better. The one I now sit is ~£1000 (recommended by professional service). Once tried that out I know how limiting my previous chair is to achieve good ergonomics.
Basically you want everything to be adjustable so that the chair fits you. Every chair allows you to adjust height, and also how much it leans forward/backward. But the relative position to where you sit to your thigh is also important. And also adjustable lumbar support in both height and amount (how much it protrude). Head rest should be adjustable, for instance my neck is tighter than other people so it needs to be adjusted to be more forward.
Once your chair gives you enough degree of freedom to fit your body, you aim to make it neutral, and have movements. Observe any tension you might have after adjustments. Then re-adjust accordingly to eliminate tension. But don’t just keep that neutral position and think you’re done. Have natural movements, make small changes often just so that you’re not in the exact same posture for too long.
Repeat the same for other things, keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.
After all those therapies, my body just never went back to normal. Those treatments and exercises just help me not worsening it and manage the pain. It’s here with me forever. Prevent it before it is too late. Take care.
Re: Ask HN: Where do you sit?
#67I have sciatica and lumbar pain. After many years of search through every major chair designer, I now work with something that eases my pain quite a lot: A 40$ 0-gravity chair. Yes, it seems unbelievable but it has been the best purchase for me in the last 10 years.
Re: Ask HN: Where do you sit?
#68Re: Ask HN: Where do you sit?
#69Net/mesh chairs are just nonsense for me. Why is that even recommended? Is it because people sweat profusely when they sit?
You might find them not to your liking, but nonsense? It's not that I sweat, I just like the cooler feel of mesh. And it's comfortable.
Okay, maybe I should try another mesh chair to be sure. I tried Herman Miller and it wasn't comfortable for me. Felt like the mesh and it's bands was poking into my skin.